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| <-[[08 Limbo]]  |  [[10 Outer Fane]]-> |
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====== 09 Fire Temple ======

<div right tip>Session \\ 2007-11-03</div>

===== Apr 24 =====

==== 8am ====

[[Pthia]] checks the adventurers for injury, finds [[Thacia]] in grave danger. Will she last to the "Hour of Truth" (noon) when [[Pthia]] will be granted more prayers?  [[Khouhn]] needs rest desperately, swoons.  [[Veelas]] & [[Pthia]] stay up with [[Thacia]]. [[Smike]] watches over (still a bat).

==== 9am ====

[[Thacia]] has dissolved and reconstituted 5-10 times in the last hour, is suffering dementia. Party can see she's fighting to stay herself but is being taken over by the chaos beast.  Bat-[[Smike]] gives her //resistance// but it doesn't help.  In lucid moments [[Thacia]] begs to be killed so she doesn't lose her soul.  To calm her (and protect the party from her if she changes) [[Veelas]] takes her out of the //rope trick//.  Again, [[Thacia]] begs to die. Bat-[[Smike]] overhears and //magic missiles//, mercy-killing her. [[Veelas]] flies into a rage at [[Smike]], who flees.

[[Pthia]], [[Veelas]], & [[Khouhn]] bring [[Thacia]]'s body up the //rope trick//.  [[Pthia]] calls [[Smike]] back, promises to protect from [[Veelas]]'s wrath: "It is not your place to judge. Only [[Thacia]] can hold [[Smike]] accountable."  [[Smike]] returns and eventually de-//animorphs//. [[Smike]] & [[Veelas]] form an unsteady truce.

==== 1pm ====

[[Pthia]] prays to Mariah for her spells, heals [[Khouhn]] & [[Veelas]].  [[Pthia]] & [[Veelas]] //teleport// with [[Thacia]] to [[Pthia]]'s temple.  [[Pthia]] trades goods for 2 diamonds, uses one to raise [[Thacia]]. [[Pthia]] restores her to health.

Meanwhile, [[Smike]] & [[Khouhn]] wait in the //rope trick//. They watch a troll & humans cleaning up below.

==== 5pm ====

[[Pthia]], [[Veelas]], & [[Thacia]] //teleport// back.  TWo human guards still in the room see them.  [[Khouhn]] & [[Smike]] drop out of //rope trick// to defend allies.  One guard surrenders, the other flees.  [[Smike]] //sleeps// the surrendered guard and the party chases the other; [[Thacia]] catches him.

They take the guards up the //rope trick// to interrogate them. The party learns their names are "[[Vlarn]]" & "[[Mort]]" and they are guards at east bridge complex where morale is low. The guard commander is "Eeridiks" & "Tack" (a monk?) is second in command.

<div right tip>Session \\ 2007-11-24</div>

[[Khouhn]] demands party give [[Vlarn]] & [[Mort]] treasure (his reasoning: so they aren't forced back into their evil ways) or they stay with party.  [[Thacia]] swears them to loyalty and they stay.  Meanwhile, [Veelas]] //arcane eyes// ahead but is blocked by doors so [[Vlarn]] & [[Mort]] crack open the doors to the south.  The eyes go in, see large circle on floor, and continue scouting to find Eeridiks w/ troglodyte ("Riokalatan") from earth temple, 3 trolls and 4 men.  The eyes also find 8 more men at bridge access.

The party devises a plan.  They take the back (east) route to Eeridiks, using a silenced stone to take out a dire bear in the intervening room. ([[Pthia]]'s bowstring breaks--a bad omen?)  [[Veelas]] //invisible sphere//s the party and they move in darkness to near foes then throw silent stone between groups.  [[Veelas]] & [[Pthia]] start //summoning// and [[Smike]] //fireballs// foes, accidentally hitting nearest troll so some escape harm.

[[Smike]] is now visible (and appears to be alone).  [[Pthia]] summons archon & [[Veelas]] summons celestial lion, both attack Eeridiks.

<div right tip>Session \\ 2007-12-16</div>

//'From [[Smike]]'s journal://'

[[Veelas]] tripped up his spell again, typical.  Almost put me in danger, but fortunately [[Pthia]] got in between me and that awful troll.  Then the real battle started.  Overall, we worked well together, except when [[Thacia]] stepped in front of my //fireball//.  Ah well, she'll be ok.

That damn Eeridiks is slippery.  While we were busy in melee, he read a scroll and disappeared. It must have been an advanced //invisibility// because we couldn't detect him, even when he was attacking us.  We took out the rest of our enemies but he slipped past.  We tracked him down to a small room but then he slipped past us.

PS. One of our prisoners ([[Vlarn]], I think) was killed by a //lightning bolt//, presumably from Eeridiks.  I guess the other one ([[Mort]]?) took off.

<div right tip>Session \\ 2007-12-31</div>

We finally got the best of that slippery Eeridiks.  The others tried to find him but I knew he'd have to go down the hallway so I concentrated on //detecting thoughts// and watching.  He was able to cover his thoughts but the fool took too long in getting down the hallway--his invisibility wore off just before he made it to the end.  He had shape-changed into a dire rat but I knew him immediately and singed his tail.  [[Khouhn]] then rushed him and took him out before he got electrocuted (again).

We then explored a bit and discovered Eeridiks' journal; apparently he was trying to bring a portal to call the "Dark Lord" from the demon dimension.  And he may have got something dangerous working.  I believe he has modified a summoning portal to open up a door to the demon plane and then uses a //dimensional anchor// to keep them here.  Quite clever, really.  Now [[Khouhn]] and [[Thacia]] want use it to trap a demon here and kill it (it will be really dead, rather than just returning to its native dimension).  That seems like a really bad idea to me.  On the other hand, I'm interested to see if Eeridiks' contraption works.

But before we took any action there we still needed to finish up with the 8 guards to the south.  [[Khouhn]] demanded that we offer them a chance to surrender first so we let him walk into their trap.  Of course, he wasn't really in danger--he can take care of himself.  But the last guards called in reinforcements before they died--a troll, a monk, and 4 gnoll archers.  But they weren't too tough once we stopped the monk from springing around everywhere.  (It was funny to see him knock [[Pthia]] on her butt.)

<div right tip>Session \\ 2008-01-13</div>

==== 6pm ====

Ah, this'll be a good night's rest.  We found a saferoom behind a secret door and up a "lift".  With food and water provided--it was better than staying at my cousin Cuthbert's!  The lift is activated by moving the stone dragon's claw--I wonder where it would take us if we pulled it down instead of up?

Note: We found a book in an unknown language, we'll need to decipher it.

===== Apr 25 =====

==== 2am ====

{{ http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG42.jpg}}

Poor [[Thacia]], dead again (and less than a day since she last died!).  Well, I guess that should be a lesson to us all: don't summon demons!  We decided we had best do something about Eeridiks' summoning portal so we prepared as best we could and then [[Veelas]] triggered it by summoning a celestial lion within the portal.  That did it: a huge, nasty spider-like thing spawned in hell entered our dimension and the portal became inert.

[[Thacia]] & [[Khouhn]] rushed in bravely but [[Thacia]] took a nasty bite on her side.  At first it looked like [[Pthia]] could keep her on her feet but the poison must have worked its way into her blood.  She died on the spot.  Hopefully, [[Pthia]] is able to get her back.

As we kept up the battle I noticed the thing was protected from my magicks so I gambled: I tried to //dispel// it's protective charms.  I'm afraid it may have had a side-effect, however: I may have inadvertently dispelled the anchor that was binding the demon to this plane.  For, when we were near victory, the thing simply blinked out of existence.  Maybe it went back to hell--that would be fine with me.  But I won't tell the others about my little gaff: they were really set on destroying that demon.

<div right tip>Session \\ 2008-01-20</div>

==== 3am ====

{{ http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG218.jpg}}

We took [[Thacia]] upstairs and embalmed her, then we worked our way south.  At first there wasn't much opposition, just a pair of salamanders and a hellhound (we must be getting close to the fire temple).  

Following a passage to the east we came across two rooms of sarcophagi--one set were marked with an obex, the other with elemental temple symbols.  [[Veelas]] discovered the obex sarcophagi were trapped but wasn't able to identify or disarm the trap (of course!).  So I bravely set off the traps from what seemed to be a safe distance.  But we misjudged the nature of these traps for I was immediately cursed with a rotting affliction.  It was beyond [[Pthia]]'s ability to remedy so she //teleported// us to her place of worship where the Reverend Mother removed the curse.  (Note: curses laid by objects can be broken by destroying the bestowing object.)

Incidentally, while healing me a small egg burst out of my shoulder--with a green slaad fetus inside!  Apparently, it had been growing there since our encounter with the red slaad in Limbo.  It's a good thing she happened upon it before it harmed me--fortune smiles upon me!

We're leaving [[Thacia]] with the elves hear so they can raise her.  (We've made a substantial donation on her behalf.)  We can't spare the means to do so and [[Veelas]] insists we don't put her in harm's way any longer.  I tend to agree--she's too thick-headed for the nuanced struggles of adventuring.  It's not all hack and slash.  But, unlike [[Khouhn]], she's too clever to manipulate. So, in all, she's not much use to me.

<div right tip>Session \\ 2008-03-09</div>

==== 12pm ====

We've met up with a professional fighter, goes by [[Tak]], who might be better than [[Thacia]] (professionals know enough not to get themselves killed so often).  He's signed our standard adventurer's agreement and joined the party.

[[Pthia]]'s brought us back to the saferoom where we left [[Khouhn]].  ([[Khouhn]]'s "meditating" looks remarkably like "snoozing".)  Now we're continuing south towards the fire temple.  Things are getting warm but there's little resistance.

We've found a tortured man in an iron maiden.  [[Khouhn]]'s demanded we help him so we're bringing him along.  He looks to be beyond help to me.  Completely unresponsive.  Poor sucker, his mind's broken.  Not good for much except as a decoy, now, unfortunately.  [[Pthia]] thinks she can help him but I doubt it.

==== 2pm ====

[[Veelas]] used his //arcane eye// trick to explore ahead of us but got himself hit with a //confusion// spell, probably from a beholder.  Fortunately, [[Pthia]] was able to fix that one.  But this means we're going to be in for a tricky contest in the fire temple.  For now we're going to go around it and make sure there's nothing else waiting for us.  Then we'll rest up before tackling the temple.

{{ http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG213.jpg}}

[[Tak]] led us further south and straight into a nest of some floating monsters (Rasts, I believe they're called).  This is a "professional"?  Oh well, I'll reserve judgement.  Anyway, one of them paralyzed me (I'm not sure how...it's gaze).  It could have ended badly but [[Tak]] finally earned his keep (w/ [[Pthia]] and [[Khouhn]]'s aid).

That [[Tak]]'s not all dumb.  He nicely lured and dispatched two guards who could have set off the alarm.  They were looking for some comrades called "Zert" and "Saslick".

<div right tip>Session \\ 2008-03-16</div>

==== 3pm ====

We've found a sinister book that appears to be written in blood on (human?) skin.  Ah, it's written in Olde Common.  I'll read it while we rest...

===== Apr 26 =====

==== 12am ====

[[Tak]] had an interesting watch last night.  A scouting salamander left a hidden note for us:
<div round box>
You have done me a favour slaying that worthless cur Zert. Now my power and worth shall be more apparent and my place secured.  Leave now and you shall be secure.  Tarry here and you shall suffer Zert's fate.

S.
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Apparently, one of the salamanders we killed yesterday was [[Zert]], and [[Saslick]] left the note.  Salamanders must not be very bright if he thinks that'll be enough to scare us off.  We're going to bring this temple down around his head!

We're preparing for a confrontation with the Fire Temple so we've moved our rescued prisoner to safety.  All but [[Pthia]] will be invisible.  [[Tak]] will lead, flying, to try take out the head honchos.  [[Khouhn]] will be on foot to handle the ground forces.  The rest of us will hold back and use our spells.  [[Veelas]] has already started summoning, that should soften them up before we even go in.

==== 1am ====

Things looked dire for us at first: the female cleric, [[Tessimon]], and [[Fieri Horonac]] (a schoolmate of mine--it's a small world!) each held spell absorbing rods, eliminating my best work and [[Veelas]]'s summons.  [[Tak]] was able to get an attack in on [[Tessimon]] but her rod (fascinating!) cast forth tentacles to wrap him up tight.  Meanwhile, [[Khouhn]] and [[Pthia]] were fighting for their lives against a group of salamanders (including Saslick) and skeletons.  Then [[Fieri Horonac | Horonac]] (the rotten coward!) //paralyzed// [[Tak]] and [[Tessimon]] threw him over the side.  We couldn't see what happened to him.

<div right tip>Session \\ 2008-03-26</div>

But then things turned around for us.  [[Khouhn]] slew [[Saslick]] and [[Tak]] somehow recovered himself, got back on the platform, and slew [[Fieri Horonac | Horonac]].  [[Tak]] was still in trouble, facing 2 salamanders and [[Tessimon]].  But the rest of the party helped me dispatch our immediate foes and I sent them up to aid [[Tak]].  Clearly, they were successful--soon after the magicks supporting the floating platform failed and it crashed into the fire pit.  Luckily, all of our party were able to get off it before it landed.

That looked like it was going to be the end of this leg of the adventure but it there was still one more nasty surprise waiting for us.  [[Tak]] went to destroy the fire temple altar while the rest of us searched the corpses.  ([[Tak]] was the only one who could face the fire pit, with [[Pthia]]'s aid.)  A huge crack sounded in the cavern when he smashed it and the ceiling started coming down around us.  Escaping into the tunnels we noticed that [[Tak]] and [[Khouhn]] weren't with us!

It turns out that [[Tak]] had fallen victim to a paralyzing trap and was slowly being roasted alive in the pit.  [[Khouhn]] saw this and foolishly risked his own life for the soldier.  (We can always find another comrade...but it's not so easy to find another indentured servant!)  Unfortunately, [[Khouhn]] was too short to lift [[Tak]] out of the pit so we had to rush back to pull the both of them out.

Now we're resting in [[Veelas]]'s //rope trick// with the stench of roast dwarf filling our nostrils.

==== 1pm ====

[[Tak]] snapped out of his paralysis several hours ago and we were just waiting for [[Pthia]] to say complete her prayer rituals.  Now she's done and she's cured the poor elf we've been dragging along with us.  His name is [[Quell]] and he's a bard.  It looks like he'll be travelling with us for a bit.  Hopefully he's more useful than that soldier.

Our plan now is to continue south since we're so close to completing a full circuit of the crater ridge mines.

<div right tip>Session \\ 2008-05-18</div>

[[Khouhn]] borrowed a page out of [[Minh]]'s book: he sounded a gong we found to see if it would draw our foes out.  I suspect it did the opposite--they're probably all holed up and prepared for us now.  

<div right tip>Session \\ 2008-06-01</div>

==== 2pm ====

{{ http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG50.jpg}}
We've completed the circuit of the Crater Ridge Mines.  We didn't encounter too much trouble on this last leg: just a few fire mephits, giant ants, and a large, blind, howling beast ([[distrachan]], I think it's called).  Its sonic blasts could tear a gnome's ears off but fortunately [[Pthia]] had the presence of mind to //silence// it (actually, [[Khouhn]]), rendering it effectively blind and harmless.

I've got to relax, though.  I'm a little on edge...I'm throwing fireballs first, asking questions later.  What's gotten into me?  So far, I don't think my comrades have noticed.

We also encountered a tough, old druid trader, [[Terran]], with a bear companion.  Seemed an alright sort, but I can't imagine why he chooses to hang out in these accursed mines!  Didn't learn much from him except that [[doomdreamers]] are led by a [[triad]].  [[Tak]] wanted to dispatch him for safety (is [[Tak]] psychopathic?) but [[Khouhn]] wouldn't allow it.

After working through another couple [[distrachan]]s we're resting for a while.
